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In my quiet time the past few days, I have chosen to read chapters in the Bible that lead up to Resurrection Sunday. These are the final chapters that take us through revealing the plot to kill Jesus and then to The Resurrection. This morning, I have been reading Matthew 27 which tells the story of when Jesus was handed over to Pilate.

As I was reading the part where the shouting crowd chose to release Barabbas over Jesus, Pilate’s 2 questions to them in verse 23 resonated from the page. Pilate asked the crowd “Why?” And then, He asked “What has He done wrong?” These questions seemed to incite the crowd more and they shouted “Crucify Him!”, yet they never answered Pilate’s questions.

In Luke 23:34 after Jesus was on the Cross between the 2 criminals, Jesus said “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” When Jesus said to forgive them, He answered Pilate’s questions. In my spiritual mind, Jesus answered the questions in reverse order.

Pilate: What has He done wrong?

Jesus: I have done nothing wrong.

Pilate: Why?

Jesus: They have done wrong! I am doing this for them.

Jesus’ dying on the Cross is the answer to what the people did wrong back then and to what we do wrong now. On the day He was crucified, it was not about the wrongs that just occurred on that day. Jesus’ death on the Cross was about our sins: the wrongs of our bad choices, the wrongs of our unclean thoughts, the wrongs of our sinful activities, the wrongs of our bad behavior and the wrongs of our bad attitudes. Our sinful nature is the answer to the question Why?

Pilate’s questions where for that particular moment in time. However, the reason the crowd did not respond with an answer was because Jesus had to get to the Cross for the answer to be revealed. His answer was for all of eternity. John 3:16-17 says “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (HCSB)

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Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Beloved Son, Jesus! Thank You for the love You have shown us over and over again. Jesus, we thank You for the precious blood You shed for each one of us. I pray that as we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, that lives will be changed and souls will be saved as we give remembrance unto You. I pray there will be a true understanding for many to the question as to Why You died on the Cross. I pray more people will come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Please forgive us of our sins! It is in His mighty and precious name, I say Amen!

It’s been well over a year since I published a post on this blog. Many things have occurred in my life since I wrote ” Moving Forward”. I have moved to another state, gone through a divorce, become an empty nester and most recently, I celebrated my 55th birthday! Over these months, I have thought about writing, I have wanted to write and I have been blessed with many topics to write about. However, for some reason, I have not been able to write. Even when I have tried to write, I could get no further than a few sentences. In fact, I am in awe right now that I have finished a complete paragraph. Praise God!

I have been asking God when do I get to write again? I have been asking, what now, God, for so many areas of my life which also include continuing with writing this blog. Over and over again, I kept hearing, “be still” or “not yet”. I have been spending quite a bit of time alone talking to God and trying to declutter my own thoughts so I could clearly hear Him. From my own spiritual perspective, I felt like I was stuck! I’ve been reading the Word of God, listening to message after message, reading devotional after devotional, playing worship music and trying to utter prayers in hopes of moving things along. As much of this as I have done, I kept feeling like I was stuck, like I was not really moving forward.

So today, the question, “What Now, God”, arose in my spirit again. After I left church service and thought about the Word that was ministered to us today, I kept asking “what now?” This was not the theme of today’s message at church, but as I thought about some of the things the pastor said, I kept thinking what now, God? And now, this evening as I powered on my laptop, and I started to draft this post, I started to read 2 Chronicles, Chapter 20 verse 12 when Jehoshaphat said “we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You”! Jehoshaphat was surrounded by his enemies. He was stuck, but yet He knew something had to be done. He felt powerless, but yet he knew he could go to God and ask, what now? (Of course, that’s not quite how he phrased it.)

And the Lord answered him with don’t be afraid or dismayed at how great the multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s!

Are you feeling powerless? Stuck? Is your back up against a wall? Heavy burdened? If so, it’s ok for you to ask, what now, God? Then, listen for His voice to say, my child, you don’t have to feel stuck, you don’t have to feel like I have left you alone, you don’t have to think that I brought you this far to leave you! The Lord is saying to you, stop thinking that you won’t be healed, or you won’t overcome the depression or you won’t be delivered from the addiction or you won’t be set free from the shame or guilt. Stop looking at how the enemy has come at you with health issues, bad thoughts, family troubles and financial burdens. Don’t let the enemy make you feel like you can’t finish school, or that you won’t get the job or the promotion. Let God work all of that out for you, let Him fight the battle for you!

In verses 16 and 17, God gave Jehoshaphat clear instructions about the next day. God said, tomorrow go down against them, you will see them coming up against you. God said, but you don’t have to fight, just position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!

Did you get all of that? When you feel surrounded by the attacks on your life, when you feel overwhelmed by your circumstances, when your flesh is getting weak, ask God “what now” and get in position for your breakthrough! Your enemy is not prepared for your “what now” prayer!

God says, He is going to ambush those attacks coming against you. He is going to move you from that place of being stuck to victory! He is going to defeat your enemy and scatter your naysayers. You need to start praising HIM this evening for what HE is going to do tomorrow! In verse 21, Jehoshaphat appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness. Their praise was “give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love endures forever.”

This is your notice, you have been appointed to praise Him! Tomorrow is your day of victory!

When we ask, what now, God? He answers with “This is not your battle, this is the Lord’s battle and God will fight for you!”

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Dear Lord, I thank You for my “what now” moment and that I can look to You for guidance, protection and a strategy for my circumstances. I thank You for letting me know this is not my battle, but Yours. I thank You for getting me out of this place of being stuck and surrounded, and for ambushing my enemy! Lord, I am going to praise You right now for the victory! Lord, because You are fighting my battle for me, I have a great expectancy for tomorrow! In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

Do you ever give any thought to the fact that you are not promised tomorrow?

Try Jesus!

You don’t know the day or the hour when your time on this earth will cease to exist.

Try Jesus!

Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour is the best decision you can make in this life.

Try Jesus!

When you feel alone and think you have no one to talk to about your problems,

Try Jesus!

When someone you have loved breaks your heart and you feel you don’t know what love really is,

Try Jesus!

When the doctor’s report gives you no hope of a complete healing,

Try Jesus!

When your friends turn their backs on you and your enemies are waiting for you to fall,

Try Jesus!

When your money runs out and there is no food on the table,

Try Jesus!

When your own negative thoughts and lack of confidence are tearing you down,

Try Jesus!

When you feel like you can’t go on any more,

Try Jesus!

When all else fails,

Try Jesus!

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John 4:6-7 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well . . .”

Father, in the name of Jesus, I am praying for someone who does not know You. I am asking You to speak to their hearts and let them feel Your love. I pray they will know You are a forgiving God and You will accept them just as they are right now. I pray they understand that they don’t have to try to fix themselves up or do better before they can come to You and ask You to save them. I pray they will trust You with their brokenness and allow You to give them strength and hope for better days ahead. I pray they will realize Your love is unconditional and You are waiting for them with open arms. In the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus, Amen and Amen, again!

Wouldn’t you rather put your hope in knowing that you are heaven bound?